Department for Transport

Public Transport: Isles of Scilly

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 20 November (HL2981), whether they have received any assurances from the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company (IOSSC) regarding the continuing operation of (1) ferry, and (2) air, services between the Isles of Scilly and the mainland; and if so, what assessment they have made of those assurances, including (a) IOSSC’s contingency plans, and (b) the extent to which those services are of value to the residents and the economy of the Isles of Scilly.

baroness sugg: The Isles of Scilly Steam Ship Company (IoSSC) has stated in correspondence that the company is in a good position to raise finance to replace vessels on the route, and are considering options for replacement. The Department for Transport has not undertaken a separate assessment of that commercial position, nor of the company’s contingency plans, but note that the Scillonian III is currently in winter maintenance for a full service in preparation for the 2018 season. The Department has similarly not undertaken an assessment of the value of the ferry or air service, but my predecessor encouraged continued dialogue between the IOSSC, the Isle of Scilly Council, and the Nobel Lord (Lord Berkeley) to consider these matters.

Roads

lord hunt of chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, in conjunction with local authorities, to improve the environment of roads to a level comparable to that in other EU countries, including the provision of (1) more frequent and cleaner lay-bys for cars and lorries, and (2) better and more extensive sound barriers.

baroness sugg: (1) The Department for Transport recognises the need for new or expanded lorry parking provision, including laybys for short breaks, on various parts of the road network nationally. The Department is currently considering how the Government can work collaboratively with other relevant stakeholders, including local authorities and industry, to address this national shortage. Formal parking for HGVs with dedicated spaces and facilities is available in the main at Motorway Service areas and trunk-road service areas. Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area including laybys. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network are in need of repair and what standards should be applied. Central Government has no powers to override local decisions in these matters. (2) The Road Investment Strategy has provided funding for Highways England to address historical noise issues on the Strategic Road Network with a target to improve 1150 Noise Important Areas by 2020. Noise barriers are being delivered to address a number of Noise Important Areas and also to provide mitigation for major project schemes.

Monarch Airlines: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 13 November (HL2710), when they expect to be able to provide a final figure of the total cost to the taxpayer of repatriating to the UK passengers of Monarch Airlines; in relation to cases where there is no confidentiality clause in place, who the recipients of those repatriation costs were; what is their initial estimate of how much each of those named recipients received; why confidentiality clauses have been used in some cases; and in relation to how many recipients were such clauses used.

baroness sugg: We are not yet able to give a final figure for the costs of the repatriation operation as we are awaiting invoices and cost recovery from third parties. This was a complex operation and aircraft and cabin crew leasing, call centres and coaches to transfer passengers between airports were among the costs. Confidentiality clauses were used to protect commercially sensitive information in the course of planning for the repatriation operation. In line with the usual transparency guidelines on government expenditure and financial reporting the absolute full and final position will be made clear in the annual accounts for the department, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Air Travel Trust (ATT), which should be published in June 2018. However, I very much hope to be able to give a more refined figure for the costs of the Monarch repatriation operation much earlier. I would refer the Noble Lord to my answer of 13 November to his previous questions.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Post Offices: Closures

lord lisvane: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether funding will be made available to prevent Post Office closures and to maintain the network at its present size.

lord henley: The Government recognises the importance of Post Offices to communities, which is why the Government committed in its manifesto to safeguard the Post Office network. Since 2010, due to the Government’s significant investment of nearly £2 billion, the network has been at its most stable for decades with over 11,600 branches. The Government accepts that the Post Office will require additional funding in the future. We are still in discussions on this and will make an announcement in due course.

Independent Industrial Strategy Council

lord elystan-morgan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to the proposed independent Industrial Strategy Council referred to in their white paper,Industrial Strategy: Building a Britain fit for the future, by what datethey expectto have such a body appointed.

lord elystan-morgan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to the proposed independent Industrial Strategy Council, whether representatives from the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be appointed.

lord elystan-morgan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will hold formal meetings with ministers for each devolved administration as to the background, experience and skills expected of anyperson appointed bythe devolved administrations to enable industrial issues pertaining to each of those countries to be articulated effectively in the proposed independent Industrial Strategy Council.

lord henley: The Industrial Strategy Council will be independent. It will be responsible for putting the right evaluation and reporting structures in place and make recommendations to government on industrial strategy. We will begin the process to establish the Council as soon as possible. We expect Council members will be invited on the basis of their expertise, experience and skills. We expect the Council’s membership to be multidisciplinary and include leading business men and women, investors, economists and academics with wide ranging knowledge of local, national and international perspectives. Our aim is for it to start work in spring 2018.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

North Korea: Refugees

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reports on BBC World News, on 14 November, about the fate of ten North Korean escapees currently detained in China; what representations, if any, they have received about those escapees; and whether they have made representations to the government of China (1) concerning its obligations under international conventions on the treatment of refugees, and (2) to secure the release of those escapees.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports of a number of North Koreans being detained in the city of Shenyang, China. At this time we have not raised these individual cases with the Chinese Government.Despite claims by the DPRK authorities that forcibly repatriated refugees are well treated and reintegrated into DPRK society, reports suggest that they are often mistreated by the authorities.We raised the issue of non-refoulement with the Chinese authorities at the UK-China Human rights Dialogue, which was held in Beijing on 27/28 June.

North Korea: Refugees

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of (1) the United States, and (2) the Republic of Korea, to coordinate international efforts to secure the release of ten North Korean escapees currently detained in China.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK has had no recent formal exchanges with the United States or the Republic of Korea on this issue.We are concerned that China continues to regard North Koreans fleeing the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as economic migrants and returns them to North Korea, rather than as refugees under the 1951 refugee convention. Despite claims by the DPRK authorities that forcibly repatriated refugees are well treated and reintegrated into DPRK society, reports suggest that they are often mistreated by the authorities.

Turkey: LGBT People

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken following the announcement by the Ankara governor's office on 19 November that all events by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex rights groups in Ankarahave been banned.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We fully support the rights of LGBTI groups in Turkey. We regularly urge Turkey to work towards full protection of fundamental rights, including with respect to freedom of expression and assembly, and will continue to do so. The British Embassy in Ankara provides project support to a number of Turkish civil society organisations working in the area of fundamental freedoms. In recent years we have funded projects on supporting freedom of expression, promoting women's and minority rights and LGBTI issues.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel following reportsof the moving of a checkpoint deeper into the Palestinian area of al-Walaja that will prevent residents from visiting the local spring or their fields beyond that checkpoint.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not raised this specific issue, the Government has consistently called on the Israeli Government to ease movement and access restrictions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement within the West Bank, including to and from East Jerusalem. It remains difficult for Palestinians to enter East Jerusalem for work, education, medical treatment, or religious worship. Through our Embassy in Tel Aviv we have lobbied the appropriate authorities on movement and access. We continue to work closely with the Quartet and EU partners to call on Israel to ease the restrictions.

Israeli Settlements

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel following the approval, by the Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, of the expropriation of private Palestinian land for the building of an access road to an Israeli settler outpost in the West Bank.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​While we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, the Government is clear that Israeli outposts in the West Bank are illegal under international law and Israeli law and should be removed entirely. The retroactive approval of unauthorised settlement outposts undermines the physical viability of the two-state solution.

Cameroon: Human Rights

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the call by UN human rights independent experts on 17 November for the government of Cameroon to “ensure a thorough, impartial and independent investigation into all allegations of human rights violations”, killings, and arrests perpetrated since 1 October in the country’s Anglophone regions; and whether they intend to make representations to that government to conduct such an investigation.

baroness goldie: The High Commissioner in Yaoundé has been following events in the Anglophone regions closely and has actively raised the need for dialogue and restraint with the Cameroonian authorities, including their obligations under international law in respect to human rights. We continue to call for restraint, for all parties to reject violence, pursue dialogue and urgently take action to reduce tensions.We encourage the Government of Cameroon to accept the United Nation's offer of help to support dialogue with the Anglophone community.

Qatar: Foreign Relations

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of allegations that Qatar is financing terrorism and Islamist extremism, what representations they have made to the government of Qatar to encourage the mending of its relations with neighbouring countries.

baroness goldie: We regularly raise a range of issues with the Government of Qatar at all levels. The UK remains very concerned by the ongoing tensions in the Gulf. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and other ministers are engaging with our Gulf friends to encourage de-escalation and to get firmly behind Kuwait’s mediation efforts to resolve the dispute. The Foreign Secretary spoke most recently to the Qatari Foreign Minister on these issues on 23rd November. Qatar is a partner of the UK in the fight against terrorism, and the Government has welcomed the Emir of Qatar’s commitment to tackle terrorism in all its manifestations, including terrorist financing, and his pledge to resolve remaining differences with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain through dialogue, negotiation and Kuwaiti mediation.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comments by the Director-General of the CBI on the impact of Brexit on investment and jobs in the UK that progress must be made on the Brexit negotiations or “a trickle of lost opportunities could become a flood”.

lord callanan: The UK remains open for business and has been ranked as the seventh best place to do business in the world by the World Bank. Since the referendum we have seen companies showing their confidence in the UK, with major investments announced by GlaxoSmithKline, Google and Apple, among others. The unemployment rate is at a 42 year low while the employment rate is near record highs. We have been engaging with businesses and industry bodies from all sectors of the economy and all regions of the UK in order to inform our negotiations with the EU. We must now look ahead to moving our discussions onto our future relationship. For this to happen, both parties need to build confidence in both the process and indeed in the shared outcome. We are ready to move these negotiations on. Doing so will allow us to best achieve our joint objectives and move towards a deal that works for both the UK and the EU, and for all our businesses and citizens. We remain ready and willing to engage as often and as quickly as needed to secure this outcome over the weeks remaining ahead of the December European Council.

Department for International Development

Syria: Reconstruction

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 21 November (HL3104), on what grounds they are withholding reconstruction aid from the Jazira and Kobane cantons of northern Syria pending a comprehensive political transition, given that they have been freed from Daesh and that schools, hospitals and private homes have suffered damage.

lord bates: The UK will continue to work with the UN to develop its plans for Syria following a national settlement of the conflict. However, we will provide no support for reconstruction until a comprehensive, genuine and inclusive political transition is firmly underway.While the conflict is ongoing, our priority is to deliver life-saving humanitarian aid. DFID-funded partners are providing support in north-east Syria including to Kobane and Jazira.

Department for Education

Madeleine Atkins

lord adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which any conflict of interest arises in respect of Professor Madeleine Atkins’ role as Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, given her position as a former Vice-Chancellor.

viscount younger of leckie: Since her appointment as Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in January 2014, there have been no conflicts of interest between Professor Madeleine Atkins’ current role and her former position as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Coventry. All public appointees are required to declare any conflicts of interest which arise. HEFCE maintains a register of such declarations, a copy ofProfessor Madeleine Atkins’ registered interests are attached. This can be found at the following address:http://www.hefce.ac.uk/about/members/Professor,Madeleine,Atkins/.

Bath University: Pay

lord adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take following the report on governance surrounding senior pay at Bath University by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, published on 20 November, which found that Bath university has “a significant distance to travel” to open its remuneration committee’s work to legitimate scrutiny through enhancing its use of various measures of transparency.

lord adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the report on governance surrounding senior pay at Bath University by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), published on 20 November, whether HEFCE intends to play a role in ensuring that Bath University implements the reforms recommended in that report; and if so, what.

viscount younger of leckie: Under existing legislation, it is the Privy Council that has a role in approving the governing documents, and amendments to them, of publicly funded higher education providers. Publicly funded higher education providers are expected to comply with the Committee of University Chairs’ Code, “The Higher Education Code of Governance” as part of their conditions for Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) funding (copy attachment). As such, it is for HEFCE as the regulator to take any action necessary in response to the report. We understand that HEFCE intends to follow-up its recommendations in this report. The university has agreed to provide HEFCE with a report on progress with the recommendations in December. There is also a planned periodic HEFCE Assurance Review of the University of Bath due to take place early next year. We are currently consulting on behalf of the new regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), on its new Regulatory Framework, due to come into force for the academic year 2019/20. Under those proposals, the OfS will be responsible for ensuring providers’ governing arrangements are appropriate, which includes requirements for providers in the approved categories to operate openly, honestly, accountably and with integrity, and publish a statement on the steps they have taken to ensure value for money for students and taxpayers. In addition, our proposals are designed to ensure sufficient transparency around senior staff pay, by requiring providers to publish the number of staff paid more than £100,000 per annum, which for staff paid more than £150,000, should include a justification for these salaries.



The Higher Education Code of Governance 
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Universities: Pay

lord adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of increases in Vice-Chancellors’ salaries since the announcement by the Minister of State for Universities and Science on 7 September that they would “unveil a series of new measures designed to curb spiralling vice-chancellors’ pay”.

viscount younger of leckie: My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation has been clear that he wants to see an end to the upwards trend in senior staff pay. Since his announcement on 7 September, the government has published details of its proposed measures.We are currently consulting on behalf of the new regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), on its new Regulatory Framework, due to come into force for the academic year 2019/20. Under those proposals, the OfS will be responsible for ensuring providers’ governing arrangements are appropriate, which includes requirements for providers to publish the number of staff paid more than £100,000 per annum, which for staff paid more than £150,000, should include a justification for these salaries.We also called on the sector to work through the Committee of University Chairs (CUC) to develop and introduce its own fair remuneration code, and are pleased that the CUC is taking forward the development of this code.These measures, once implemented, will deliver greater transparency and accountability, as well as improved value for money for taxpayers and for students.

Universities

lord adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government what meetings the Minister of State for Universities and Science has held with (1) the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and (2) the Office for Students to discuss issues relating to (a) Vice-Chancellors’ pay, and (b) the governance of universities in England; and what was the outcome of those meetings.

viscount younger of leckie: My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation meets monthly with colleagues from Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Since the Minister’s speech to the higher education sector in July, the topic of vice-chancellors’ pay and governance is regularly discussed in the context of general discussions and when the minister updates HEFCE on progress with policy development on this topic. The minister meets fortnightly with colleagues from the Office for Students (OfS). These meetings have included discussion of the consultation on the OfS’s proposed new regulatory framework. This framework will set out how the OfS will regulate providers in future, namely in a risk-based and proportionate way, aimed at bringing stability for the sector, and delivering value-for-money for students and taxpayers. It also describes the proposed conditions which providers must meet in order to register with the OfS, which include conditions around accountability and transparency around senior staff pay.

Madeleine Atkins

lord adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Professor Madeleine Atkins is restricted from taking remunerated employment from, or entering into contracts with, English universities following the expiry of her term as Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England; and if not, whether they intend to seek an undertaking from her that she will not enter into such employment or contracts.

viscount younger of leckie: In her employment with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and as a public appointee, Professor Madeleine Atkins is bound by the HEFCE board code of practice for board members, the Nolan Principles and confidentiality required as a HEFCE employee. Ongoing contractual arrangements are a matter between the employee and the HEFCE as the employer.

Faith Schools: Admissions

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of new free schools which would be opened if the 50 per cent cap on faith-based schools were removed; andwhat discussions they have had with representatives of (1) the Catholic Church, and (2) non-religious interest groups,about the impact of that cap on admissions.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of new free schools which would be opened if the 50 per cent cap on faith based schools were removed; and what discussions they have had with (1) representatives of the Catholic Church about the impact of that cap on faith-based admissions,and (2)representatives of non-religious interest groups.

lord agnew of oulton: The ‘Schools that work for everyone’ consultation document, available in the House Library, recognised that some faiths, including the Catholic Church, have felt unable to open new schools, subject to the 50% cap, through the free schools’ route because they say it contravenes religious rules. Ministers and officials meet regularly and have discussions with a range of partners and stakeholders including representatives of the Catholic Church, such as the Catholic Education Service, and non-religious interest groups such as the British Humanist Association and National Secular Society. A range of issues, including the impact of the 50% cap on admissions, are regularly discussed in the context of general discussions. The department plans to respond on this in due course. We greatly value the important role Catholic schools play in our education system and that will continue.

Apprentices: Construction

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number ofapprenticeships being undertaken in the construction industry.

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number ofapprenticeships that were undertaken in the construction industry in 2015.

lord agnew of oulton: The number of apprenticeships starts in the Construction, Planning and the Built Environment Sector Subject Area were 21,460 in the 2015/16 academic year and 21,210 in the 2016/17 academic year.

Social Work: Regulation

baroness pitkeathley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have madeon their plans for setting up a new Regulator for Social Work.

lord agnew of oulton: The government remains committed to the establishment of a new bespoke regulator for the social work profession. We are developing the secondary legislation needed to enable Social Work England to operate as the regulator and are intending to consult on that in early 2018. Alongside this, we are working with the current regulator (the Health and Care Professions Council) and the social work profession, to establish a timeline that will enable a safe transfer of regulatory functions to Social Work England. This approach to establishing a timeline will ensure that a dynamic, responsive and outcomes focused regulator is created, while also enabling a smooth transfer from the current regulator.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Disability

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what specific training measures are in place to enable work coaches to advise, assess, and support people with (1) learning disabilities, (2) autism, and (3) other forms of disability, to make a claim for Universal Credit.

baroness buscombe: Universal Credit work coaches go through a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants including those who have complex needs. This learning builds on Work Coaches’ existing skills and knowledge, and includes facilitator-led learning and skills practice, supported by multimedia learning materials. As we expand Universal Credit, we continually review and develop the claimant journey those with complex needs. This includes looking at how we identify claimants’ needs, how we support them and how we refer them to local services delivered in partnership activity.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Rights of Way

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to review the law relating to public rights of way that go through (1) private homes and gardens, and (2) working farmyards, in relation to cases in which privacy, safety or security is an issue.

lord gardiner of kimble: We are working towards implementing a package of reforms to the policy and legislative framework governing public rights of way. The package includes measures that we believe will help people who are experiencing problems with rights of way that cross their property. We have already undertaken to review these measures two years after implementation to evaluate how well they are working. Good progress has been made on drafting the various required statutory instruments and guidance, working with the Stakeholder Working Group who developed the recommendations for reform. We intend to implement all the reforms in one go as a complete package, but I am not yet in a position at present to say precisely when.

HM Treasury

Taxation

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what equality impact analyses have been made following the introduction of each tax change during the past seven years; and what has been the impact on different groups of people, including the elderly, lone parents, disabled people and ethnic minorities.

lord bates: Equality impact analyses, which cover all protected characteristics, are included as part of the tax impact assessment process that was introduced by the Government in 2011. Tax Impact and Information Notes (TIINs) are reviewed prior to decisions being taken and are published on GOV.UK. The Government holds all tax policy under review and takes the impacts of previous measures into account during this process.

Economic Situation

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the findings released by the European Commission on 30 October showing that industry and consumer confidence in the Eurozone economies is at its highest level for 17 years, and (2) prospects for growth in the those economies; and what comparative assessment they have made of (a) confidence in the economy, and (b) prospects for growth, in the UK, following the Office for Budget Responsibility's announcement that the UK economy will not grow as fast as previously forecast.

lord bates: The Treasury continuously monitors global and European economic developments as part of the normal process of domestic policy development. Euro area growth has become increasingly robust in recent quarters. This has helped boost economic sentiment, as the European Commission’s publication on 30 October notes. They consider that the outlook for euro area growth remains positive; growth forecasts were revised up for the euro area in the Autumn Forecast, released November 9. The UK economy is also fundamentally strong. The economy has grown for 19 consecutive quarters, employment is close to a record high and the deficit has been cut by three quarters. UK consumer confidence has been relatively stable over the last six months. However there is more to do: improving our productivity remains the key to raising living standards over the long term. That is why we have invested over a quarter of a trillion pounds in infrastructure, cut taxes to support business investment and reformed technical education. The UK welcomes the stronger macroeconomic outlook for the euro area. It is in Britain’s interest to see a stable and prosperous euro area

Shares: Sales

lord vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which the beneficial owners of shares held in collective investments are fully aware when those shares have been lent for shorting purposes and have given their permission accordingly.

lord vinson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to make it a condition of listing that administrators of collective investments declare their shorting positions, and have been fully authorised by the beneficial owners of those shares before lending those shares for shorting purposes.

lord bates: This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from government. This question has been passed on to the FCA. They will reply directly to the Noble Lord by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Cabinet Office

Devolution

lord elystan-morgan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to update the Memorandum of Understanding with the devolved administrations, published in October 2013, in order to take account of relevant issues affecting devolution which have arisen in the last four years.

lord young of cookham: The Government recognises the need to review the Memorandum of Understanding with the devolved administrations. The decision to review the Memorandum of Understanding must be taken with the agreement of the four participating administrations - the UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive.

UK Governance Group

lord elystan-morgan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish regular reports of the meetings of the UK Governance Group established in June 2015 to lead work on constitutional and devolution issues.

lord elystan-morgan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how often the UK Governance Group has met in 2017.

lord young of cookham: The UK Governance Group brings together under one command the Cabinet Office Constitution Group, the Scotland Office, the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland and the Wales Office. This Group leads the UK Government’s work on constitutional and devolution issues, and is the primary source of advice to UK Government Ministers and Departments for this area.Activities and performance of the Group are reported in the Cabinet Office annual report and the annual reports of the other departmental constituent parts of the Group.

Devolution

lord elystan-morgan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the undertaking given in paragraph 20 of the October 2013 Memorandum of Understanding thatthey would “involve the devolved administrations as fully as possible in discussions about the formulation of the UK’s policy position on all EU and international issues which touch on devolved matters”, whether they plan to involve Scottish and Welsh Ministers directly in decision-making concerning such discussions.

lord young of cookham: The UK Government has been clear that the devolved administrations should be fully engaged in preparations for the UK’s exit from the EU. The Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations facilitates engagement and collaboration on EU Exit. In addition to the formal structures of the Joint Ministerial Committee, constructive bilateral engagement with the devolved administrations on a wide range of policy areas related to EU Exit continues at both Ministerial and official level.

Brexit

lord elystan-morgan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK Governance Group has taken a view on which legislative powers currently vested in the EU should be transferred to Wales or Scotland on departure from the EU.

lord young of cookham: The Government is continuing discussions with the devolved administrations, working through the relevant areas of EU law to determine where common approaches will and will not be required, and the different forms that common approaches could take. The common framework principles agreed at the Joint Ministerial Committee (European Negotiations) are guiding these discussions. The Government expects that the return of powers from the EU will lead to a significant increase in the decision making powers for the devolved administrations.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they are making to ensure that the roles of (1) the intelligence services, and (2) the police, including community policing, are taken fully into account in the Strategic Defence Review.

lord young of cookham: The government remains focused on implementing the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), which was published in 2015. In July the government announced a review of national security capabilities, in support of SDSR implementation, to ensure that we have a full suite of effective and efficient national security capabilities to achieve our three national security objectives: protecting our people, projecting our global influence and promoting our prosperity. The work is being coordinated by the National Security Adviser, with individual strands taken forward by cross-departmental teams, which has involved a range of Government departments and our law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Married People

lord morrow: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many single earner married couples there are in (1) England, (2) Wales, (3) Scotland, and (4) Northern Ireland, broken down as a percentage of the total number of married couples in each nation.

lord morrow: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many single-earner married couples there are in each local authority area in the UK, broken down as a percentage of the total number of married couples for each area.

lord young of cookham: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply and I will place a copy of their letter in the Library of the House.



UKSA Response 
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Brexit

lord elystan-morgan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Young of Cookham on 23 November (HL Deb, col 285) that in relation to powers vested in the EU, they "would like to devolve as much as we can to the devolved Administrations", whether they will discuss fully with Scottish and Welsh Ministers those areas they are working to devolve; and whether they intend to publish a White Paper setting out such proposals.

lord young of cookham: The Government has committed to working closely with the devolved administrations on common frameworks, establishing them only where they are needed and identifying areas that could be released from the temporary competence arrangement in time for exit day. These discussions are ongoing, guided by the principles agreed between the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments at the last meeting of Joint Ministerial Committee (European Negotiations).

Electronic Voting

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to undertake a feasibility study of online voting,following the recommendation of thereport Cost of Voting by WebRoots Democracy published on 6 November.

lord young of cookham: The Government notes the recommendations in the WebRoots Democracy report. The Government is committed to building a modern democracy that works for everyone. The introduction of electronic voting (‘e-Voting’) would require very careful consideration.The selection of elected representatives for Parliament is regarded as requiring the highest possible level of integrity and, at present, there are concerns that e-Voting, by any means, is not seen by many to be suitably rigorous and secure, and could be vulnerable to attack or fraud. To provide a system over which there are doubts to part of the electorate would not be appropriate. Furthermore, the Electoral Commission in their reports on the 2007 e-Voting pilots found that it had little direct effect on increasing turnout.

Department of Health

Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust

baroness gardner of parkes: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the announcement by the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and King's Health Partners that they intend to create a new clinical academic facility for cardiovascular and respiratory services, whether they intend to review the proposal from NHS England to close the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust's congenital heart disease services.

lord o'shaughnessy: At its public meeting on 30 November 2017 and following its review of and public consultation on Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) services in England, the NHS England Board agreed to note the outline proposal presented by the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust for how full compliance against the standards might be achieved; to confirm that NHS England should work with the Royal Brompton and other potential partners on the full range of options for delivering a solution that could deliver full compliance with the standards and ensure the sustainability of other connected services; and to continue to commission level 1 CHD services from the Trust, conditional on the Trust demonstrating sufficient progress within required timescales. The commissioning of CHD services in England is a matter for NHS England. The Government will continue to hold NHS England to account as it takes forward the recommendations of its review.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that thewhole of (1) the £1.25 billion of Future in Mind Funding announced in the March 2015 Budget, and (2) the £150 million announced in the Autumn Statement 2014, will be released to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services by 2020.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government and NHS England’s plan for the use of this additional investment is set out in Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. To ensure that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) invest this money as intended we are using the full range of support, levers and incentives including: - Clear information on what constitutes a high quality service. NHS England is producing guides for commissioners and providers which set out best practice, evidence based interventions and what roles professionals and organisations should play to ensure quality. They have already published guidance on eating disorders and early intervention in psychosis. Guidance on urgent and emergency care for children and young people and a generic pathway for all children and young people with mental health problems are being developed.- A requirement for all CCGs to increase spend on mental health services by a greater amount than their overall funding increase (the Mental Health Investment Standard).- Publishing every CCGs spend on children and young people’s mental health as part of the Mental Health Dashboard.- NHS England’s National Director for Mental Health, Medical Director and National Director for Operations and Information wrote jointly in February 2017 to all CCGs and NHS trusts to get their assurance that the money is indeed being spent as intended and investments meet mental health planning guidance and deliver the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health.

Social Services: Disability

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they provide to local authorities for the provision of social care to Universal Credit claimants who have (1) a learning disability, (2) autism, and (3) other forms of disability.

lord o'shaughnessy: At the spring budget we announced an additional £2 billion will be given to councils over the next three years for social care. In total, we have given councils access to £9.25 billion more dedicated funding for social care over the next three years. Universal Credit claimants with a learning disability, autism, and other forms of disability may be eligible for funding for care and support depending on their needs and financial assessment. They may also be eligible for Continuing Health Care or Funded Nursing Care which would cover the cost of their social care or contribute towards it.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to place a copy of the systematic review of serious adverse reactions following HPV vaccines, commissioned by the World Health Organisation, in the Library of the House.

lord o'shaughnessy: The World Health Organization’s Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety publishes a summary outcome of its vaccine safety reviews on a six-monthly basis. The outcome of the Committee’s most recent review of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine safety was published on 14 July 2017. A copy of the Weekly epidemiological record is attached, which summarises the latest six month review. This review found no new adverse events of concern for HPV vaccine based on many very large, high quality studies.



Weekly epidemiological record
(PDF Document, 449.41 KB)

Armed Forces: Mefloquine

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written AnswerbyEarl Howe on 22 November (HL3229),what assessment they have made of the conclusions ofthe Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee of the European Medicines Agency in 2014 that: “There is enough evidence … supporting a causal relationship between mefloquine and the occurrence of long lasting and even persistent neuropsychiatric side effects” and a “strong suspicion” that mefloquine can cause “permanent brain damage”.

lord o'shaughnessy: At its meeting in February 2014, the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) of the European Medicines Agency recommended that the product information for mefloquine be amended to state that neuropsychiatric adverse reactions may persist for months, or longer, even after discontinuation of the drug. The PRAC did not recommend that such reactions should be listed as permanent. The United Kingdom product information for mefloquine reflects the final PRAC recommendation.

Incinerators: Health Hazards

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government why Public Health England (PHE) commissioned research into possible links between municipal waste incinerators and health outcomes; and why PHE stated that “it is important to stress that PHE's position that well run and regulated modern waste incinerators are not a significant risk to public health remains valid”prior to publication of that research.

lord o'shaughnessy: Public Health England (PHE) has commissioned a study to extend the evidence base further as to whether emissions from modern municipal waste incinerators affect human health. From the outset of this study, PHE highlighted that its current position, that well run and regulated modern waste incinerators are not a significant risk to public health, remains valid.PHE will review its advice in light of new substantial research on the health effects of incinerators published in peer reviewed journals. To date, PHE is not aware of any evidence that requires a change in their position statement.